Unknown provenance

[lanedh]

Good day all:
One of my coworkers brought in a smoothbore long gun for me to examine and try to classify for him. It is a ordinary halfstock with a percussion bar style lock, drum and nipple, brass trigger guard and buttplate, cast pewter or tin forend cap, walnut stock with varnish finish. The barrel is pinned in two places to the stock (not wedges). Caliber appears to be about .60 or so (20 gauge fowler?). Barrel wall thickness is greater than usually seen on fowling pieces, hinting that this may be just a smoothbore meant for round balls.

There are no maker's names on the barrel and no visible proof marks (although there may be some marks hidden on the underside of the barrel). The only identifying marks are found on the lockplate: "N. ASHMORE", nothing else. A couple of areas of scroll engraving on either end of the lockplate.

My guess is that this is an English-made piece intended for the export market, notwithstanding the absence of visible proofhouse marks.

Anybody want to add or observe?

Bluejacket

 

[spud]

Is this gun a flintlock converison to precussion? Nathan Ashmore/Azhmore was a Gunsmith/Blacksmith in Woodstock Connecticut.1780/1805 I have seen two of his rifles both .56cal. smoothbores one of these was in my collection when I lived in Thompson connecticut (my hometown) both guns were very roughly made with parts from older guns. Check with Old Stirbridge village in Southbridge Mass.they had one of his guns as late as 1980/81 Hope this helps---SPUD

 

[lanedh]

Hi Spud--
Thanks for your input. The lockplate design is too late to be a conversion from flintlock to percussion, but the rest of your description of Ashmore's guns fits this one pretty well. The style of the tang on the buttplate lends itself to an earlier age (old parts), ditto for the ramrod entry pipe in the forend. It is pretty ugly, but solid and built for service. The lack of proofmarks supports it being American-made. I forgot to add that it has a single small bead front sight but no rear sight. Also, the ramrod has no button on the end as a shotgun rod has, suggesting that it shot a PRB.

Regards,
Bluejacket

 

[spud]

My Ashmore had no rear sight and a inconsistent bore size .561 at breech .567 at muzzle and a loose breech plug It was found in the rafters of a woolen mill machine shop(Keegen's mill) on the french river in Wilsonville[url] CT.in[/url] the early 1940s by my Grandfather, Alside Langlois. my Grandson owns it now.--SPUD